Food that fills you up & keeps you slim

The first meal of the day can help you stay happy, healthy, slim and strong every day of the year. Start now!

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Vertica Agarwal

February 3, 2010

UPDATED: February 4, 2010 13:38 IST

You don'tneed a microbiologistto tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, many of us still skip breakfast or swig a glass of milk before we rush out for work. This is not guesswork: a recent Kellogg India survey found that 30% adults in India have only tea or coffee for breakfast and 54% of 13 to 15-year-olds leave home with just a glass of milk. Not the perfect way to start the day considering a good early morning meal does more than just fill you up. It boosts metabolism, fights diseases and makes you healthy and happy. Neelanjana Singh, consultant nutritionist at Delhi's Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute, agrees, "Breakfast kick-starts your day on an energetic note, keeps your bone health intact, helps you control blood sugar levels and fuels your brainpower." In fact, researchers at the Michigan State University, have come to the conclusion-after analysing diets for 10 nutrients-that the right breakfast can meet nearly 1/3 of your nutritional requirements for the day. Dr Kamala Krishnaswamy, former director of Nutrition Institute of India, adds: "A diversified breakfast provides you the calories, proteins, n-3 fats, calcium, potassium and fibre." It can also make you feel on top of the world by helping you achieve your wishful health goals. Here's how:

IfYouWish to Re-energiseA late-night party, inadequate sleep or lack of nutritional food affects energy levels in the morning. -Try This To energise yourself, supply glucose to your brain; it works like fuel. But be sure to leave out caffeine (which causes a slump as soon as it starts work on you). "A meal of complex carbs is your best bet. Unlike their refined version, complex carbs allow glucose to be released slowly in the bloodstream and keep you alert for a longer period," explains Singh. And the more you delay the meal, the more fatigued you will feel. So have breakfast when you must.- BreakfastTip Complex carbs + protein to keep you charged up.-YourMenu Options Oatmeal/muesli or wholewheat toast and egg or stuffed roti with dahi or milk + fruit + walnuts/flaxseeds.IfYouWish to Beat the bloatIt's a condition that may occur because of overeating, or it could result from chronic indigestion.-Try This A bloated stomach does not mean you skip your breakfast but just that you keep it light. Skipping breakfast can actually worsen it. Too much gap between dinner and breakfast can cause your stomach juices to release in the stomach lining, leading to acidity and flatulence.-BreakfastTip Besides complex carbs and protein, have cold milk and fruits to neutralise the stomach acids.-Your Menu Options Banana/papaya (papain, an enzyme in papaya aids digestion) + egg whites or paneer sandwich made of toned-milk paneer + cold milk. Avoid hot milk and fruit juices. "They can aggravate indigestion," says Dr Sonia Kakar, a senior dietician based in Delhi. If You Wish to feel CHEERFULAnything could trigger off a mood swing but what keeps you feeling low is when the happy hormone serotonin isn't released in your blood to lift your spirits. -TryThis Carbs are the powerhouse of serotonin and the sooner you have them, the happier your day can be. Certain amino acids including tryptophan, phenylalanine and leucine found in food can increase serotonin levels. Fruits high in these amino acids include dates, papaya and banana. - Breakfast Tip Eating a diet rich in wholegrain carbohydrates and low in protein will also increase serotonin by secreting insulin, which helps amino acids compete in transporting nutrients to the brain, according to the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience (November 2007).- Your Menu Options Muesli/wheat flakes/stuffed roti + banana/papaya + a few almonds or a serotonin-rich dark chocolate/cocoa shake for a cheerful mood early in the morning. Avoid coffee with your meal as caffeine obstructs the absorption of nutrients.

If You Wish to Fix your blood sugarAfter your last meal-which is probably 8-10 hours before breakfast-the blood sugar levels plummet, as there is no energy or glucose being produced. This can be harmful for diabetics and causes discomfort to people with high blood pressure.- TryThis Add more fibre to your breakfast. To add 6 to 8 g of fibre- of the daily fibre you need in a day-one of these should do: have cup of baked beans (7 g) instead of cup of pasta salad (1 g), or have 1 cup of lentil soup (7 g) instead of 1 cup of chicken with rice soup (1 g). - Breakfast Tip Go for complex carbs or fibre-rich foods + protein + low-fat calcium and potassium-rich foods (for BP patients).- Your Menu Options Sandwich + egg, milk + cereal, or porridge, fruits such as banana/watermelon or a few raisins (all good sources of potassium).Avoid cornflakes, they are high in sugar and low in fibre and can cause sugar to fluctuate rapidly. Opt for wholewheat cereals instead. If You Wish to whittle your middleBoost your metabolism to burn more fat. A late or meagre breakfast can slow it down, making weight loss difficult. -TryThis Ritika Samaddar, chief dietician at Delhi's Max Healthcare, suggests, "A robust meal at the start of the day works in sync with metabolism, which is highest in the morning. This, in turn, fuels metabolic activity and keeps you energised as well." In another study, researchers found that eating eggs for breakfast keeps you feeling full for longer. Thirty overweight or obese women were either given a serving of eggs or a bagel for breakfast. The food intake at breakfast was compared to hunger scores in the morning, food intake at lunch and the 36 hours following the breakfast. Women who ate the egg breakfast reported a greater feeling of satiety between breakfast and lunch. -Breakfast Tip Egg white + fresh fruit + dairy item- Your Menu Options Wholewheat cheese toast with calcium-rich low-fat cheese and fibre-rich veggies to give you a healthy dose of anti-oxidants + a seasonal fruit.

If You Wish to stop bingeing After a night-long rest, your brain needs energy and without breakfast, your body is deprived of that much-needed strength. Lack of it may lead to bingeing later in the day on samosas or fries. The result: piling on kilos.-TryThis A study in the British Journal of Nutrition tracked the diets of nearly 900 adults and found that when people ate more healthy fat, protein, and carbs in the morning, they stayed satisfied and ate less over the course of the day. -Breakfast Tip Complex carbs+ fibre rich fruits + low-fat dairy-Your Menu Options A wholegrain, cheese or egg sandwich/roti stuffed with methi, carrot, radish or any seasonal veggie (great for providing satiety!) + milk.

If You Wish to have healthycholesterolAn overtly busy day with a stressful lifestyle and unhealthy habits can harm your ticker in more than one way. -Try ThisStart the day with a wholegrain meal to cut your heart attack risks. Higher consumption of wholegrain breakfast cereals may lower the risk of heart failure, according to data from the Physicians' Health Study I. Researchers collected information on their diet from over 20,000 participants at the start of the study and assessed new cases of heart failure annually for an average of 20 years. As the intake of breakfast cereals increased, the risk of heart failure decreased. -BreakfastTip Focus on protein and fibre.-Your Menu OptionsTry scrambling an egg yolk (around 210 mg cholesterol) with two egg whites for a high-protein, cholesterol-conscious breakfast or have a wholegrain cereal or a Mediterranean chickpea salad with lots of veggies.

If You Wish to have strong bonesThe ageing process causes calcium deficiency in over-40 women, eventually leading to bone-related aches and pains.-Try ThisYour body absorbs nutrients and uses them when your BMR is high, which is usually at its peak in the morning. And don't be lazy, you can't just get away with a glass of milk early in your waking hours. -BreakfastTip Dairy items are a must and so are calcium absorbing and potassium-rich foods.-Your Menu OptionsBoiled rajma/idlis/dhoklas. "Fermented foods are great for calcium absorption," says Kakar. Tofu/paneer sandwich + milk/lassi + nuts + fruits can do the trick and give you stronger bones.

Tips for on-the-go womenHere are some ways to make your breakfast convenient-Keep wholewheat bread, lettuce, cucumber, low-fat cheese stocked for a quick sandwich. Add dry fruits to a box of healthy cereal.-Make your own granola bars with rice or wheat puffs, nuts and dried fruits rolled in molten gur/jaggery or pack them when you are rushed.-Stash single-serving boxes of wholegrain cereal or packets of instant oatmeal and shelf-stable, fat-free milk or soya milk at work to eat when you arrive.

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